To put Africa's business potential into perspective, the Washington-based Brookings Institute described it as "the second-largest continent in the world and approximately three times the size of the United States. Viewed from the perspective of its economy, however, Africa is quite small. In 2010, its gross domestic product was approximately $1.6 trillion, compared with the U.S.' $14.5 trillion GDP."

There is of course no need to make comparisons, as no country and no continent has a similar history nor will share similar futures. However, it allows one to imagine the potential for regional trade within Africa considering the vastness of its land. There is now a standard saying that "trade not aid" will inevitably help a country grow and remain stable in the long term. Africa has woken up to this mantra and started to believe that it can be the solution to its own long-term economic growth.

At this year's annual Davos meeting of world leaders and business people regional trade in Africa was high on the agenda, with some of Africa's leaders urging closer cooperation within the continent on energy and infrastructure projects to help its growth prospects.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma called for massive investment in infrastructure to promote trade within Africa. At the same session, Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga pointed out, "Intra-Africa trade is negligible; Europe trades more with itself than with the rest of the world." Guinea's President Alpha Condé said, "If we want to move ahead we have to help ourselves. If we do that we can agree on producing our own energy, breaking down barriers to trade."

According to the World Bank, intra-African trade remains very low. Lack of product diversification, low trade complementarity among African countries and high trade costs perpetuate this situation. The basic requirements to allow regional trade to thrive are missing: Poor transport and communications infrastructure and unreliable power are key constraints to Africa's ability to trade with itself and with the rest of the world.

Currently, most African exports are still sent to markets in industrialized countries; only 10-12 percent go to other African countries. This is less than half the level in other emerging markets, and half the continent's intra-regional trade occurs within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), dominated by South Africa, according to The Guardian newspaper. For regional trade to thrive there must be serious investments in the likes of transport and other infrastructure as well as providing trade finance and support.

There is however a growing realization that Africa can help Africa. Moussa Seck, President of the Pan African AgriBusiness Consortium (PanAAC), believes that Africa can definitely ensure its own needs. "The amazing specifics of the African continent give us a unique advantage when it comes to agricultural potential. Our continent is entirely situated between the 40th Parallel North and the 40th Parallel South. Consequently, we have the potential to grow almost anything on a year-round basis, by alternating production of different crops north and south of the Equator," said Seck. According to PanAAC, the United States, India and Europe produce as much food in two weeks as Africa produces in a year, which must push Africa to remedy the situation and cooperate as a continent to achieve a more equal trade balance on a regional level.

Africa does have its regional trade blocks such as the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), yet most countries still import from outside the African continent. The COMESA and the EAC already have tariff- and quota-free trade rules.

Economic researchers suggest that it is actually Africa's burgeoning middle class that will boost regional trade. The more this middle class wants and needs the more African countries can provide for each other.  Additionally, since trading among African countries involves manufactured products that are costly to import from global markets, there exists significant potential for the development of regional production chains, such as those in East Asia, to drive global exports of manufactured goods.  Another essential effect increased regional trade will have is to establish much needed jobs throughout the continent, and that is a major factor for stability and growth as the continent's population is young and they are all heading for the job market.

Signs are showing that Africa is ready to look more at itself and work more with itself. The African Union's target to establish, by 2017, a Cape-to-Cairo free trade zone encompassing 26 countries, 525 million people and $1 trillion in output shows a brighter future for the continent as a whole.

The writer is Communications Manager of EMRC – an internationally renowned organization providing a platform for Africa's private and public sector to come together and discuss partnership opportunities - www.emrc.be